I seriously love this kid and thank the Devils every day for passing on him

http://www.nbcsports.com/...-3-shoulder-ac-separation
- nastyflyergirl

Yeah, this kid is a beast. He is must for our young core. What a great pick at the draft.

Well, I guess we can put to rest on whether Simmonds was playing hurt.

Good lord!
- MBFlyerfan

What's the word officially?

Well, I guess we can put to rest on whether Simmonds was playing hurt.

Good lord!
- MBFlyerfan

lol yep (though im not sure how you tear a pelvis)

@billmeltzer
1m1 minute ago
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Simmonds injury summary: torn pelvis since training camp (likely needs surgery). Then pulled groin. Then ankle fracture. 4 hours of dental surgery then multiple tooth extractions. Then torn thumb ligaments, which was only injury he sat out to heal.

What's the word officially?
- Giroux_Is_God

Simmonds injury summary: torn pelvis since training camp (likely needs surgery). Then pulled groin. Then ankle fracture. 4 hours of dental surgery then multiple tooth extractions. Then torn thumb ligaments, which was only injury he sat out to heal.

Simmonds injury summary: torn pelvis since training camp (likely needs surgery). Then pulled groin. Then ankle fracture. 4 hours of dental surgery then multiple tooth extractions. Then torn thumb ligaments, which was only injury he sat out to heal.
- MBFlyerfan

Torn pelvis? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that. I wonder what is the recovery on that. I wonder if he said anything early on in the season about it. Good chance that led to the groin pull. I hate when guys do this...because of the compensating your very likely to seriously hurt another area.

Torn pelvis? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that. I wonder what is the recovery on that. I wonder if he said anything early on in the season about it. Good chance that led to the groin pull. I hate when guys do this...because of the compensating your very likely to seriously hurt another area.
- Just5

Let me be the first to tell me to go (frank) myself for wanting Simmonds traded this offseason.

Having a guy like that in the room can be no greater example to the young players on this team.

Agreed 100% At a certain point the coaches/trainers need to step in. Simmonds clealrly couldn't play very effectively and there is a strong argument that an ineffective star player is less useful than a heathly scratch that could be playing near or at 100%. Coots really shouldn't have been cleared to skate on that injury imo.
- hereticpride

There wasn't another player available to the Flyers that was an upgrade to Simmonds. As far as the latter point, the question is could he do more damage by playing. I don't know the answer to that.

Simmonds injury summary: torn pelvis since training camp (likely needs surgery). Then pulled groin. Then ankle fracture. 4 hours of dental surgery then multiple tooth extractions. Then torn thumb ligaments, which was only injury he sat out to heal.
- MBFlyerfan

Good lord! Gotta love a guy that is there for his team through all that. Fans were tough on him this year. Hope we can step back a bit and realize what a special guy he really is. Tough, community guy, locker room guy, or yeah.... and he can pot a few goals along the way.

I hear people saying trade him but who do you replace him with and the salary will most likely be fair for both the player and the organization. He is a keeper in my mind.

Don't think Hexy will move him. Have to trust that Hexy has more hockey knowledge in little pinky then me. I have some earned trust in what he is doing.

Let me be the first to tell me to go (frank) myself for wanting Simmonds traded this offseason.

Having a guy like that in the room can be no greater example to the young players on this team.
- MBFlyerfan

Lots of respect for Simmer and now you calling yourself out. Fair to feel that way earlier though. Hard to know what is going on behind closed doors. Flyers are hush hush.

I like good players, really good players, excellent players, as much as the next person. I really do.

If Nolan Patrick hadn't dropped into the Flyers' laps, I would be leading the "Sign Tavares" brigade.

But Patrick did. And to me, because of what I believe I have seen from Patrick, I would prefer to use the money required to sign a Tavares elsewhere on the roster.

I know the Flyers have prospects. I know the defense isn't the worst around, has good pieces.

But I don't love that defense. I don't. It's only his first year, but the reason Sanheim kept getting the hook is because he plays a little soft.

Not saying he needs to turn into Chris Pronger. But he's not as hard on the puck as he could be, and if that doesn't change, this coach isn't gonna put up with it. And to be honest, I wouldn't either. I admire Sanheim's metrics as much as anybody, but the Flyers need more than just underlying metrics when people are cutting across the middle and going to the net.

You have to play a bigger game -- Ghost was getting killed in this series because he wasn't playing big boy hockey. It's OK to be a puckmover and offensive defenseman. But at some point, the puck's in your end and you need to separate people from it with authority.

So to me, you investigate defensive options. I am not naming any names. I haven't looked at free agency.

I think the Flyers could pass on Tavares, snag a 3C, and pump money into a legitimate attempt to infuse a very good defenseman into this lineup that pushes everybody except Provorov and maybe Ghost down a spot
- AllInForFlyers

I garee completely with your basic premise here but Gostisbehere is never going to be a player who can consistently separate people from the puck with authority. Eric Desjardin was one of the best Flyers defenseman in franchise history. He was not a physical player. He battled hard for position and competed but he had an extroadinary stick defensively. That's how Gostisbehere has to play. he did that for a large apart of the season but it just got away from him in the playoffs.

I garee completely with your basic premise here but Gostisbehere is never going to be a player who can consistently separate people from the puck with authority. Eric Desjardin was one of the best Flyers defenseman in franchise history. He was not a physical player. He battled hard for position and competed but he had an extroadinary stick defensively. That's how Gostisbehere has to play. he did that for a large apart of the season but it just got away from him in the playoffs.
- MJL

What was most disturbing was ghost losing it at both ends. His entire game was a train wreck in the playoffs.

There are currently 5 wingers in the NHL with cap hits over 8 mil. Flyers have 2 of them. I know we are dirt cheap with centers right now. But Giroux is a LW now. It's interesting in the very least we are setup to pay 2 wingers that much over the next 4 and 5 years
- Just5

6 actually.

6 actually.
- MJL

Depends on how you classify Kessel. I guess total he is an 8 mil hit over 2 teams

Simmonds injuries are (frank)ing ridiculous. Should've had the pelvis taken care of at the beginning of the season. I'm glad we don't have him signed long term because going through a full year with something like that has to mess poop up.

I'd put the thought trading him at the draft to bed for now. Can't see anyone possibly giving up a 1st coming off all those injuries.

Bill Meltzer
‏

@billmeltzer
1m1 minute ago
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As with Ghost (Team USA) and Voracek (Czech), Giroux turned down Hockey Canada invitation to World Championships. Not sure if guys discussed together to get a full summer of rest, but they were all pretty unequivocal that they want to be fully ready for day 1 next season.

It is already feeling like maybe this group thinks they are close.

Why is it a good message to the team that Simmonds played through so many injuries?

He has set a good enough example for his teammates doing other things. This is just dumb.

Someone brought it up earlier I believe they are right in that Hak was worried about the matchup of Konecny routinely against the pens top lines. I don't think they were concerned about spreading out scoring.
- Just5

I'm sure that was part of it but to dismiss the offensive side of it doesn't add up.

It is already feeling like maybe this group thinks they are close.
- MBFlyerfan

Thank you bumholes. Never should be doing these dumb tournaments

Nowhere near catching up to the most recent page of this thread, so maybe this has been addressed but, Provorov literally was tied for 1st in the NHL for goals by a defenseman this year. 17 goals is A LOT for a d man. He didn't rack up a ton of assists, but 41 points is nothing to scoff at. Keep in mind he put up these numbers without being on PP1. Something his agent is fully aware of and will leverage. How many more assists would he have gotten on PP1?

Ryan Suter put up 37, 39, and 46 points, (4, 4, and 7 goals) in his final 3 seasons in Nashville before Minesota signed him to his 13 year, 7.5 mil cap hit contract in 2013 dollars. Provorov just put up 41 points and 17(!) goals while clearly being the most important defenseman on the team. I expect the Flyers to lock up Provorov for 8 years, but I don't expect it to be for less than 7.75 mil.

All that said, I completely agree with your stance that there is no reason NOT to try to sign JT when all it would cost you is money. Voracek is probably one of the best players in the NHL without a NTC. Flyers could demand some serious assets back for him if they had to trade him after a year or two. Pittsburgh has spent the last decade being extremely deep down the middle most seasons and surrounding their centers with a few quality wings and lots of trash, and that has worked out well for them.
- pinkfloydfreak

The Suter contract is a poor comparable for Provorov.

It's just gonna be another quiet summer of tweaks and adjustments -- the process continues -- it's time we all came to terms with that.

(frank) Tavares.
- Tomahawk

There will be a few moves made but the real improvement will come internally.

lol yep (though im not sure how you tear a pelvis)
- YuenglingJagr

What did I say. Hip(ish) surgery.

I'm a (frank)ing prophet of the LORD

so both our goalies need surgery again? jesus we won't be able to trade either of them

Simmonds injuries are (frank)ing ridiculous. Should've had the pelvis taken care of at the beginning of the season. I'm glad we don't have him signed long term because going through a full year with something like that has to mess poop up.

I'd put the thought trading him at the draft to bed for now. Can't see anyone possibly giving up a 1st coming off all those injuries.
- hereticpride

NHL teams would consult with their Doctors on the prognosis for issues like that. I think there would be wide spread interest in Simmonds if the Flyers put him on the block and he would fetch a strong return.

I think we might be stuck with Gudas...

https://www.capfriendly.c.../defense/ufa/desc/1/right
- dragonoffrost

maybe someone else wants him

Nowhere near catching up to the most recent page of this thread, so maybe this has been addressed but, Provorov literally was tied for 1st in the NHL for goals by a defenseman this year. 17 goals is A LOT for a d man. He didn't rack up a ton of assists, but 41 points is nothing to scoff at. Keep in mind he put up these numbers without being on PP1. Something his agent is fully aware of and will leverage. How many more assists would he have gotten on PP1?

Ryan Suter put up 37, 39, and 46 points, (4, 4, and 7 goals) in his final 3 seasons in Nashville before Minesota signed him to his 13 year, 7.5 mil cap hit contract in 2013 dollars. Provorov just put up 41 points and 17(!) goals while clearly being the most important defenseman on the team. I expect the Flyers to lock up Provorov for 8 years, but I don't expect it to be for less than 7.75 mil.

All that said, I completely agree with your stance that there is no reason NOT to try to sign JT when all it would cost you is money. Voracek is probably one of the best players in the NHL without a NTC. Flyers could demand some serious assets back for him if they had to trade him after a year or two. Pittsburgh has spent the last decade being extremely deep down the middle most seasons and surrounding their centers with a few quality wings and lots of trash, and that has worked out well for them.
- pinkfloydfreak

All is true. I adjusted my thinking he will get a bit more. I would be comfortable giving him the same contract ekblad got. I don’t see it differing much from that